By Staff, LCUNews
PINEVILLE, La. (LCUNews) — Steve Horn, executive director for Louisiana Baptists, encouraged Louisiana Christian University students during the first chapel of the 2022-23 school year, Aug. 26, to make decisions with their end goals in mind.
Speaking from Revelation 1:1-8, Horn said the lessons in Revelation allow believers to go through life’s trials with the end in view.
“Hopefully, you came to this university with the end in view. Not just graduation, but education and learning—to make a contribution to this world,” said Horn. “The decisions you make in the weeks, the years to come, are progressing you to the end. Revelation is the kind of book that calls on us to focus on the end.”
Four years ago, Louisiana Christian University President Rick Brewer began selecting a single book of the Bible for extensive study for the year. His selection this year was the Book of Revelation.
According to Brewer, “Revelation is often misunderstood and therefore neglected, but Dr. Horn made it easier to understand with his message to the students by emphasizing the overarching themes of the Book.
“Our chapel experience today was a worshipful time of praise, prayer and proclamation unlike any I have ever sensed at the university,” Brewer said. “God is at work on our campus. It’s encouraging to witness our students, faculty and staff coming together with a genuine sense of expectancy that the Lord is meeting them here at this time and place. “
Horn spoke on what he called the “prologue” to the book that offer seven things to watch for in Revelation.
–The sovereignty of God
“He is the one who is, who was, who is to come,” Horn said, citing verse 4. “There’s never been a time when God was not. There never will be a time when God is not.”
Revelation 19:6 is an exclamation of the sovereignty of God. “Hallelujah! The Lord our God, the Almighty reigns! It’s not only the conclusion of Revelation. It’s the conclusion to all of life.”
–The supremacy of Jesus Christ
Jesus is the hero of the story, Horn said. “He gains his supremacy because of his sacrifice in Chapter 5.”
–The certainty of eternal judgment
Chapters 6-19 cover the three Cycles of Judgment with seven parts in each of the cycles.
In the First Cycle, the six seals are revealed, then a pause before the seventh, Horn said. In the Second Cycle, the six trumpets are sounded then a pause before the seventh. Finally, in the Third Cycle, when the bowls are revealed there is no pause.
“God is bringing about eternal judgment,” Horn offered. “He isn’t desirous of the judgment because He pauses along the way, but the pause will not last forever.”
–The coming climatic conclusion of all history
Revelation will show God is in charge of bringing it all to a conclusion, Horn said.
–The certainty of the return of Jesus
Revelation ends on this note, he said.
–The certainty of eternal life for the righteous
Revelation will show that this is God’s desire.
–The call of God upon your life
Horn concluded by explaining why all this matters to today’s young person—what he called the “So What?”
First, you must commit yourselves to live in worship.
“The endeavor of our lives should be to worship Him,” Horn said. “We worship toward the end—not in the immediate we may be going through.”
Secondly, we must all live in surrender.
“Our lives must be surrendered to Him,” Horn said. “Someone or something sits on the throne of your life and heart. Is it God?”
Finally, Horn told the students to live their lives with a sense of urgency.
“We don’t know what part of the story [Revelation] we are in right now,” he said. “The Lord is returning at a time we do not know.”
